Immigration Bill Defeated

The Senate rejected an immigration reform package that Senator Bernie Sanders opposed because it would have driven down wages and benefits for U.S. workers by letting employers recruit lower-paid foreign guest workers. "At a time when the middle class is shrinking, poverty is increasing and millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages it makes no sense to me to have an immigration bill which, over a period of years, would bring millions of 'guest workers' into this country who

Thursday, June 28, 2007

The Senate rejected an immigration reform package that Senator Bernie Sanders opposed because it would have driven down wages and benefits for U.S. workers by letting employers recruit lower-paid foreign guest workers. "At a time when the middle class is shrinking, poverty is increasing and millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages it makes no sense to me to have an immigration bill which, over a period of years, would bring millions of ‘guest workers' into this country who are prepared to work for lower wages than American workers. We need to increase wages in this country, not lower them," Sanders said after senators voted 53-to-46 to set aside the legislation.

"We need an immigration policy which addresses the very serious problems of illegal immigration, continues our historic support of legal immigration, but protects the shrinking middle class."